Integrating Permanent Dental Hygienists in Saudi Preschools and Primary Schools to Address the High Burden of Childhood Dental Caries.

BACKGROUND

Pain from dental caries is strongly linked to increased school absenteeism and poorer academic performance. This burden is pronounced in Saudi Arabia, where the prevalence of caries is double the global rate despite the availability of public dental services and various national oral health outreach programs, suggesting potential gaps in access to dental care.

CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEORY: While the public health benefits of school-based oral health programs are well-documented, existing school-based caries prevention programs in Saudi Arabia are limited, episodic, and lack continuity, reducing long-term impact. This Theoretical Article addresses these limitations by proposing an innovative model of integrating dental hygienists as permanent providers of school-based preventive dental services.

IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: The integration of dental hygienists as permanent staff in schools is a needed intervention to address Saudi Arabia's high childhood caries prevalence. The proposed model promotes early, consistent, and equitable delivery of preventive dental services, reducing disparities and supporting long-term improvements in oral health equity.

CONCLUSIONS

The integration of dental hygienists in schools would fill gaps in the current dental public health programs and offer a sustainable, equity-driven approach to reduce the prevalence of caries and oral health disparities.